UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman recently stated his stance on a potential fight against middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya, asserting that he had no interest in competing against his fellow Nigerian.

Usman was recently seen facing off with former UFC light heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz backstage at UFC 276.

He previously revealed plans to skip the middleweight division and make the move directly to light heavyweight to compete for the 205 lbs strap.

While in conversation with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ confirmed these claims. Usman offered fans some knowledge about the uncomfortable feeling that he felt with colleagues, saying it was a refreshing feeling not to be worried about the possibility of entertaining a challenge from Adesanya.

He further said that he was glad to see Adesanya dominate the 185-pound division.

“It’s refreshing to be around a guy and not be sizing him up, you know? Because like I feel it. I’m around guys like Charles Oliveira and I feel it. I feel that heat a little bit… It is an uncomfortable feeling to be able to be around. But it keeps you on your toes and, you know, it’s refreshing not to be doing that with (Adesanya), you know?”

The UFC welterweight champion and MMA Fighting’s No.1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Usman is officially set to face Leon Edwards in a rematch on Aug. 20 in Salt Lake City. The UFC announced the long-rumoured bout during the pay-per-view broadcast for UFC 275, and online oddsmakers already like Usman’s chances at defeating Edwards for a second time.

Heavyweight boxer, Anthony Joshua, has credited his knockout win over Kubrat Pulev back in December 2020 to “African power.”

Derek Chisora claimed a split decision victory over Bulgarian Pulev at The O2 Arena on Saturday night, to break his unenviable streak of three straight defeats.

Two-time heavyweight champion Joshua had beaten Pulev with a ninth round knockout when they faced off two years ago.

Chisora was heard asking Joshua, “I’m like ‘what the hell did you hit him with?’”

Joshua responded, “That African power, bro. That’s what.”

The two then discussed Joshua’s upcoming rematch with Oleksandr Usyk as he tries to become a three-time heavyweight champion with Chisora saying, “Bro, I’m coming to Saudi with you.”

Joshua added, “I was going to message you. I want you to come, I need you to come.”

The 45th bout of Chisora’s professional career had been tipped to be his last, but it was the British boxer who landed the better and heavier punches with a brilliant 12th round, enough to clinch the win.

Usyk vs. Joshua will take place on August 20 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Eguma is the longest-serving manager in the league and just won his first league title with Rivers United

Stanley Eguma was in Ibadan last Sunday during Rivers United’s 3-2 slim loss to Shooting Stars in a game that was played behind closed doors.

Lucky Emmanuel, Opeyemi Olufemi, and Moses Omoduemuke scored for the Oluyole Warriors, while Chijioke Akuneto netted a brace for Rivers United.

Although Rivers United had nothing to lose, they still gave Shooting Stars a run for their money for the entire 90 minutes of play.

Eguma, one of the longest-serving coaches in the NPFL, had some pleasurable moments after the game as fans hailed him with words like, “Longest Coach and Sabi manager.”

After the game, Eguma said in an interview on issues related to representing Nigeria in the CAF Champions League next season.

Eguma spoke about the departure of hot-shot Ishaq Kayode and how they are planning for a replacement. He also revealed the progress level of the NPFL’s highest goalscorer Chijioke Akuneto and the availability of Sikiru Olatunbosun and Theophilus Afelokhai for the squad ahead of their continental assignment.

Recall that Kayode, who has scored 14 goals this season, is expected to join a club in Europe after his groundbreaking performance in the first leg of the NPFL season.

Eguma said that it’s an honour for him as a coach to help with Kayode’s development.

“The team made Kayode, so we can as well make other Kayode for the continent next season,” Eguma reiterated. “It’s our duty as coaches to ensure and get the talent to get them into the team. Kayode is going. It’s a good thing and credit to me as a coach that I’m able to develop him to a level that other clubs can appreciate him.

“He is also creating the space for other young talented players to cover. I think it’s not a problem for us. We will always look out for those that can fit into the spaces he is going to create and see how we can build them up.”

About the NPFL’s highest goalscorer, Chijioke Akuneto, Eguma said that an eye for goals helped the midfielder succeed this season. Akuneto has scored 17 goals so far this season to stay ahead of Abdulazeez Yusuf and Victor Mbaoma who have 16 goals each.

“Chijioke Akuneto, before he came to the team, I saw the talent in him as a player who has the eyes for goals. I kept encouraging him. Even when Kayode was scoring, I believed in him he can still score goals. Kayode is doing it, you can do it. You have all it takes to do it. He was working all through till he finally got the goals. And goal-scoring became part of it.”

About the futures of Sikiru Olatunbosun and ageless goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai, Eguma revealed that Rivers United ties the availability of those players to their contracts.

“They have a contract with the team now and I don’t know the terms of that contract. If the contract continues or is renewed, I think they will continue with the team or it depends on what their contract is talking about and what the player’s ambition is.

Some of them want to play in Europe. If their contract is over, you can’t stop them. But if their contract is still running, you will have them next season.”

He stressed that the season has been a successful one for them.

“Well, you can assess us yourself. This year is a successful season because we have done so well. We won the league before the end of the season-getting a lot of goals. The goal advantage we have is more than any other team.”

Rivers United will represent Nigeria in the CAF Champions League next season and Eguma assured that Rivers United will break the jinx NPFL champions have always been facing in the Continent.

“Yeah, we have been there in the past. We know what it takes. We have also tasted crashing out in the past, so it is on us now to work hard to ensure that the experience we have had in the past will play a big role for us to come against all odds and obstacles.

“Now that the league is ending, there will be more time before the continental assignment starts, so we will go to the drawing board to work towards our success,” Eguma concluded.

Former Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has formally left motorsport’s governing body, the FIA.

The move comes four months after an FIA inquiry found human error was responsible for the incorrect application of the rules in the 2021 title-deciding Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Masi has “decided to leave the FIA and relocate to Australia to be closer to his family and take on new challenges”.

There was no mention of the Abu Dhabi controversy in the FIA statement.

Masi’s failure to follow the sporting regulations during a late safety-car period at Yas Marina resulted in the world championship changing hands.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was on course to win a record eighth world title, but he was overtaken by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen when the race was restarted for one final lap securing a maiden drivers crown , for the Dutchman.

Masi was removed as race Director as part of an FIA restructure in February.

The FIA report listed a number of errors made by the Australian. These included:

• “calling the safety car back into the pit lane without it having completed an additional lap as required by the Formula 1 sporting regulations”.
• “human error” in deciding to allow only some cars to un-lap themselves – namely the ones between Hamilton and Verstappen, but not the ones between other cars in the field, including Verstappen and third-placed Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari.

The FIA statement said Masi “oversaw a three-year period as FIA Formula 1 race director and safety delegate following the sudden passing of Charlie Whiting in 2019, carrying out the numerous functions he was tasked with in a professional and dedicated manner.

“The FIA thanks him for his commitment and wishes him the best for the future.”

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had previously said he was in talks with Masi with the aim of finding him another role within the organisation.

However, Masi declined to continue with the FIA and insiders have told BBC Sport he felt he had lacked support from the organisation in the wake of the events in Abu Dhabi.

A number of changes have been put in place following the Abu Dhabi race to try to ensure similar mistakes are not made again.

These include splitting the role of race director between two people; an extended team in race control; the establishment of a virtual race control to support the one at the track, and preventing teams directly communicating with the race director.

It was found in the report that interventions from Mercedes and Red Bull – including from team principals Toto Wolff and Christian Horner – “had a negative impact on the smooth running of the final laps because they were distracting when the race director needed to focus on making difficult and time-pressured decisions”.

Austria’s Dominic Thiem spoke of his relief after winning his first match on the ATP Tour since May 2021. 

The 2020 US Open champion, 28, spent nine months out with a wrist injury.

He lost his first seven matches after returning to action in March before beating Finland’s Emil Ruusuvuori 3-6 6-1 7-6 (7-5) at the Bastad Open.

“It’s a long time. My last victory was in Rome in 2021, it feels like a different world somehow,” said Thiem, 28.

“Many, many things happened. It was tough, but it was also a very good experience I think, for life in general. I’m so happy that I got this first victory here today.”

Thiem claimed his only grand slam title at Flushing Meadows in September 2020, coming from two sets down to beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final.

He has also twice made the final of the French Open, finishing runner-up to Rafael Nadal in 2018 and 2019, and was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the final of the 2020 Australian Open.

It has been a long road back for Thiem since retiring from a match against Adrian Mannarino in Mallorca 14 months ago. In that time he has fallen from fifth to 339th in the world rankings.

The Austrian chose not to play at Wimbledon, dropping down to the Challenger Tour, where he registered a win in Salzburg last week.

His next match in the second round at Bastad is against Spain’s fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut.

Paul Pogba arrives at a medical centre to undergo medical tests in Turin, Italy, on July 9, 2022. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

French World Cup-winning midfielder Paul Pogba has returned to Serie A side Juventus on a free transfer, the Italian giants announced on their website on Monday (July 11).

The 29-year-old enjoyed a highly successful first spell at Juventus (2012-16) before Manchester United swooped to sign him for a then record €105 million (S$149 million).

“Paul is back in Turin,” Juventus said on their website below a photo of a grinning Pogba in a Juventus shirt.

“He left as a boy and returns as a man and a champion.

“But there is one thing that has not changed – the desire to write unforgettable pages of club history together once more.

“Pogba is back and we couldn’t be happier.”

Pogba underwent his medical check-up over the weekend and has signed a four year deal which will earn him a reported €8 million a season plus a potential €2 million in bonuses.

“Juventus Football Club announces that it has signed a contract of employment with the player Paul Pogba,” read the statement.

“Juventus will incur ancillary costs of €2.5 million, to be paid within Aug 31, 2022.

“Juventus and the player have signed a contract of employment until June 30, 2026.”

He rejoins Juve after his contract with Manchester United expired at the end of last month, marking the end of a largely disappointing six years back in England.

Dysfunctional United are further away from the top of English football than when he joined. They have not won a Premier League title in nine years.

The 2017 Europa League and the same season’s League Cup are a poor haul for Pogba at one of the world’s biggest clubs, especially as they both came under Jose Mourinho, a period when Pogba has said he first suffered from depression.

Pogba is expected to inherit the No. 10 jersey from Paulo Dybala, who could join Juve’s fiercest rivals Inter Milan after the Argentina forward was let go by the Turin giants.

Pogba wore that jersey in his final season at Juve, joining such iconic playmakers as Roberto Baggio, Alessandro del Piero, Michele Platini and Liam Brady.

He had moved to Juve from United four years previously while still a teenager and made a huge impression in a slick midfield featuring the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.

Pogba blossomed when coach Massimiliano Allegri replaced Antonio Conte in 2014. The Frenchman drove a powerful team to the following year’s Champions league final, losing to Barcelona.

He won the Serie A title in each of his four seasons at the Old Lady of Italian football and retained his affection for Juve. He was linked with a return on several occasions during his time at United.

Allegri will be hoping that Pogba can help Juve return to their former glories after they finished fourth last season, 16 points behind champions AC Milan.

Pogba is Juve’s second notable signing in recent days. The club secured the signature of veteran Argentina winger Angel di Maria after he was released by French champions Paris Saint-Germain.